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                32 artmosphere the art perspective
in common - the love of travel, passion for his- tory, a sense of adventure and vintage fashion. Some of the guests were vintage diehards and much attention was given to their wardro- bes and a couple of the women designed and created their own vintage wardrobe. Others wore authentic vintage only and some a mix of old and newer pieces. The men were not to be out done. I must say it was easy on the eye to see how handsome they looked at cocktail hour and dinner wearing their suits or tuxedos.
inviting welcome by our crew. As we climbed out of the boat it was rather obvious that we were not the average tourists but instead a group of people dressed in Agatha Christie style 1920s attire. What would they think of us? I’d worried a little that the Sudan’s 60+ crew members might find our outfits eccentric, or off-putting. Instead, they were delighted to find people who cared as much about the boat’s history as they did.
Setting foot on her gangway was like a step back in time to the golden era of travel. Few places are better suited to getting lost in the past. It was almost a century ago that the first traveler’s set sail on the Cook & Son’s steamboats. Today, the SS Sudan is the last surviving ship from the steam-powe- red fleet – the only one still gracing the Nile with her paddlewheels and oiled teak decks.
As tempting as it was to spend the entire time on board, lounging in the wicker chairs on the roof-terra- ce or drinking gin and tonics at the cozy bar, the pas- sage from Aswan to Luxor was so rich with ancient Egyptian ruins and not to be missed. Additionally, The SS Sudan is the only boat to sail north of Luxor to the town of Qena, where we visited the sacred city of Abydos and the Temple of Hathor in Denderah.
The sound of the engines started to hum along with the splashing of the massive paddle in the water. We were off and sailing down the Nile to a week ahead of magnificent destinations. Each day John and Coleen led us to their fa- vorite sites along with our local Egyptologist who provided valuable insight and historical context. As a photographer I was torn between learning about the ruins or capturing photos, it was not an easy balance. It is one thing to see the temples and ruins in books or on a screen but it is entirely astonishing and mind boggling to see them in person. I was completely gobs- macked! The craftsmanship and scale is incre- dible and awe inspiring.
  Early the next morning after a hearty break- fast, a small, brightly colored boat took us from the Old Cataract Hotel down the Nile to the nearby dock where the SS Sudan was waiting. This was to be our home for the next 5 days. As we pulled up to the grand steamship, we were greeted with smiling faces, happy voices singing the sounds of Egyptian music. It was such an
   



























































































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